The 8th Marching Division ( it, 8ª Divisione di marcia) was a short-lived division of the

Royal Italian Army The Royal Italian Army ( it, Regio Esercito, , Royal Army) was the land force of the Kingdom of Italy, established with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. During the 19th century Italy started to unify into one country, and in 1861 Manfre ...

during World War II. In the Italian military the term "Marching" refers to temporary units based in Italy to manage replacements for the operational units at the front.

History

In summer 1942 Italy sent the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (CSIR) with three divisions to the Eastern Front and the corps' replacements were managed by the Complementary Troops Command of the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia ( it, Comando Truppe Complementi del Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia). In summer 1942

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

decided to increase the Italian participation in the Eastern Front and ordered that the CSIR be expanded to a

field army A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, and with ...

with ten divisions. Subsequently the 8th Marching Division was formed in Bolzano on 1 July 1942 to manage replacements for the Italian Army in Russia (ARMIR).

Organization

The 8th Marching Division was made up of three brigades and eleven marching regiments. The list below provides the names of the marching regiments and the ARMIR units they provided replacements for. * 8th Marching Division, initially in Bolzano, then in Verona ** I Marching Brigade, in Milan (XXXV Army Corps) *** 8th Marching Regiment (Corps units) **** CCIX Mortar Replacements Battalion **** CCLII Mortar Replacements Battalion **** CVI Anti-tank Replacements Battalion *** 9th Marching Regiment (for the

9th Infantry Division "Pasubio" The 9th Infantry Division Pasubio ( it, 9ª Divisione di fanteria "Pasubio") was an infantry Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Pasubio was classified as an auto-transportable division, meaning it had ...

) **** LXXIX Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 79th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio") **** LXXX Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 80th Infantry Regiment "Pasubio") **** LXXXIII Fusilier Replacements Battalion (activated 10 November 1942) **** CLVI Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the

156th Infantry Division "Vicenza" The 156th Infantry Division "Vicenza" ( it, 151ª Divisione di fanteria "Vicenza") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Vicenza was formed on 10 March 1942 and named for the city of Vicenza. The Vicenza was c ...

; activated 10 November 1942) *** 30th Marching Regiment (for the

3rd Cavalry Division "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" The 3rd Cavalry Division " Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta" ( it, 3ª Divisione celere "Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta") was a Cavalry or "Celere" (Fast) division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in 1934, and duri ...

) **** III

Bersaglieri The Bersaglieri, singular Bersagliere, (, "sharpshooter") are a troop of marksmen in the Italian Army's infantry corps. They were originally created by General Alessandro La Marmora on 18 June 1836 to serve in the Royal Sardinian Army, which ...

Replacements Battalion (for the

3rd Bersaglieri Regiment The 3rd Bersaglieri Regiment ( it, 3° Reggimento Bersaglieri) is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Teulada in Sardinia. The regiment is part of the army's infantry corps' Bersaglieri speciality and operationally assigned to the Mecha ...

) **** VI Bersaglieri Replacements Battalion (for the

6th Bersaglieri Regiment The 6th Bersaglieri Regiment ( it, 6° Reggimento Bersaglieri) is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Trapani in Sicily. The regiment is part of the army's infantry corps' Bersaglieri speciality and operationally assigned to the Mechanized ...

) **** VI Bersaglieri Motorcyclist Replacements Battalion **** VII Bersaglieri Anti-tank Replacements Battalion *** 52nd Marching Regiment (for the

52nd Infantry Division "Torino" The 52nd Infantry Division "Torino" ( it, 52ª Divisione di fanteria "Torino") was an infantry division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Torino was named after the city of Turin ( it, Torino) and classified as an auto-transporta ...

) **** LXXXI Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 81st Infantry Regiment "Torino") **** LXXXII Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the

82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino" The 82nd Infantry Regiment "Torino" ( it, 82° Reggimento Fanteria "Torino") is an active unit of the Italian Army based in Barletta in Apulia. The regiment is named for the city of Turin and part of the Italian Army's infantry arm. As of 2023 th ...

) ** II Marching Brigade, in Bologna (II Army Corps) *** 2nd Marching Regiment (for the

2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca" The 2nd Infantry Division "Sforzesca" ( it, 2ª Divisione di fanteria "Sforzesca") was a infantry Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Sforzesca was classified as a mountain infantry division, which mean ...

) **** LIII Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 53rd Infantry Regiment "Sforzesca") **** LIV Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 54th Infantry Regiment "Sforzesca") **** LXXXIV Fusilier Replacements Battalion (activated 10 November 1942) *** 3rd Marching Regiment (for the

3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna" The 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna" ( it, 3ª Divisione di fanteria "Ravenna") was a infantry Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Ravenna was classified as a mountain infantry division, which meant that ...

**** XXXVII Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 37th Infantry Regiment "Ravenna") **** XXXVIII Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 38th Infantry Regiment "Ravenna") **** LXXXV Fusilier Replacements Battalion (activated 10 November 1942) *** 5th Marching Regiment (for the

5th Infantry Division "Cosseria" The 5th Infantry Division "Cosseria" ( it, 5ª Divisione di fanteria "Cosseria") was an infantry Division (military), division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II. The Cosseria was named for the Battle_of_Montenotte, Battle of Cosseria f ...

) **** LXXXIX Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 89th Infantry Regiment "Cosseria") **** XC Fusilier Replacements Battalion (for the 90th Infantry Regiment "Cosseria") *** 7th Marching Regiment (Corps units) **** CC Mortar Replacements Battalion **** CCIII Mortar Replacements Battalion **** CCV Anti-tank Replacements Battalion ** III Marching Brigade, initially

Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...

, then in Udine (Alpine Army Corps) *** 102nd Marching

Alpini The Alpini are the Italian Army's specialist mountain infantry. Part of the army's infantry corps, the speciality distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Currently the active Alpini units are organized in two operatio ...

Regiment (for the

2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" The 2nd Alpine Division "Tridentina" ( it, 2ª Divisione alpina "Tridentina") was a division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and eli ...

) **** V Alpini Replacements Battalion (for the

5th Alpini Regiment The 5th Alpini Regiment ( it, 5° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The regiment is based in Sterzing and assi ...

) **** VI Alpini Replacements Battalion (for the

6th Alpini Regiment The 6th Alpini Regiment ( it, 6° Reggimento Alpini) is a training regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The regiment is based in Bruneck ...

) *** 103rd Marching Alpini Regiment (for the

3rd Alpine Division "Julia" The 3rd Alpine Division "Julia" ( it, 3ª Divisione alpina "Julia") was a division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated, elite mountain c ...

) **** VIII Alpini Replacements Battalion (for the

8th Alpini Regiment The 8th Alpini Regiment ( it, 8° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. As of 2022 the regiment is assigned to ...

) **** IX Alpini Replacements Battalion (for the

9th Alpini Regiment The 9th Alpini Regiment ( it, 9° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. Based in the city of L'Aquila in Abruzzo t ...

) *** 104th Marching Alpini Regiment (for the

4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" The 4th Alpine Division "Cuneense" ( it, 4ª Divisione alpina "Cuneense") was a division of the Royal Italian Army during World War II, which specialized in mountain warfare. The headquarters of the division was in the city of Cuneo, and the major ...

) **** I Alpini Replacements Battalion (for the

1st Alpini Regiment The 1st Alpini Regiment ( it, 1° Reggimento Alpini) is an active unit of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The unit is based in Turin in Piedmont ...

) **** II Alpini Replacements Battalion (for the

2nd Alpini Regiment The 2nd Alpini Regiment ( it, 2° Reggimento Alpini) is a regiment of the Italian Army's mountain infantry speciality, the Alpini, which distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II. The regiment was disbanded in 1943 due t ...

) ** 1123rd Transport Section ** 41st Supply Section ** 107th Carabinieri Section ** 124th Field Post Office

Operation Little Saturn

Between 12 December 1942 and 18 February 1943 the Italian Army in Russia was destroyed during the Soviet Operation Little Saturn. What little remained of the Italian divisions was repatriated in March and April 1943. As a result the 8th Marching Division and its units were either disbanded or reassigned. * I Brigade: The 30th and 52nd regiments were disbanded in April 1943, while the brigade command was reorganized as XXVIII Coastal Brigade and sent to

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

. The 8th Marching Regiment became the 183rd Coastal Infantry Regiment and remained with the brigade, while the 9th Marching Regiment was transferred to Albania to manage replacements for Italian units there. * II Brigade: The brigade command was reorganized as XXIX Coastal Brigade and sent to

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

in Sicily with two of its regiments, while its remaining units were disbanded. * III Brigade: In April 1943 the brigade was assigned to the XXIII Army Corps for anti-partisan duties in the area of Tolmin and Cerkno on the Italian- Yugoslav border. The 102nd Regiment and the 104th Regiment were disbanded on 1 May 1943 and used to begin the process of reforming the

, respectively the

. On 31 August 1943 the brigade and the 103rd Regiment were disbanded and the remaining personnel assigned to the three reforming alpine divisions.

230th Coastal Division

The 8th Marching Division was disbanded on 20 May 1943 and on 1 June 1943 the command of the 230th Coastal Division was formed with the 8th Marching Division's personnel.

Commanding officers

The division's commanding officer was: *

Generale di Divisione Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an Division (military), army division. The rank originates from the General officer#French (Revolutionary) system, French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The ...

Egisto Conti Egisto can refer to: * Aegisthus, figure in Greek mythology * L'Egisto, 1643 opera by Francesco Cavalli *Chi soffre, speri ''Chi soffre, speri'' (''Let him who Suffers Hope'') or ''L'Egisto'' is an opera in a prologue and three acts by the Italia ...

(1 July 1942 - 20 May 1943)

References

Bibliography

* George F. Nafziger, ''Italian Order of Battle. An organizational history of the Italian Army in World War II'', 3 voll. {{Italian Divisions World War II Infantry divisions of Italy in World War II Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1943